THE Ardley In/Out Thread [Multiple threads merged]

[PedroTheFisherman66]

You don't keep your promsises Ken.

He's ok, I just wouldn't want him. I know John Radford didn't think he was a good manager nor did a lot of Stags fans.

An epic choke, then a failed playoff campaign. Sacked.

Yes,yes and yes to anything else you say xxx

[drillerpie]

An epic choke, then a failed playoff campaign. Sacked.

Compared to NA's record in the last two seasons...oh wait, that is NA's record in the last two seasons.

[TSANHO]

Yes, we seem to pretty much unanimously agree that Ardley isn't getting this group of players playing better than the sum of their parts, but I'm not at all convinced that Ardley is even getting them to play to the sum of their parts.

We have had a constant stream of signings from one or two divisions higher, with some up and coming youngsters, but we rarely dominate anyone and in all his time here I can't remember us stringing more than two or three good performances together.

Effiong is built for this division and scored something like 17 goals in a crap team last year. In his first interview he said that there was a lot to learn about Ardley's system but he was eager and willing to do what the manager asked. Now he's a joke figure who can hardly control the ball.

Elisha Sam is big, quick, skilful and has a cracking shot on him, but months after we signed him we still don't know where to play him.

We score way more goals with Knowles on the pitch than without him, but rarely start with him.

Enzio is being transformed into a defensive wide midfielder.

We all know what a good lower division central midfield looks like (Bishop and Ravenhill) and how many games that kind of mobility and aggression will win you, but we choose Doyle and Reeves every game when fit.

I've been saying for a while that this season would be like a Munto season. Remember when we were hovering around 5th in L2 with no consistency, and people started saying the players weren't good enough? Then a new manager came in with proper motivational skills and a simple but effective game plan everyone could buy into, and it turned out they were actually very good indeed.

I'm sure that's exactly where we are now, only I've resigned myself to the fact that there will be no change.

Good post 👍

[laddo]

It's certainly very similar, bar a few key points that don't need highlighting for fear of going over the same old ground for the ump****th time.

Nothing changes for me, get promoted or close the door on the way out.

[LaxtonLad]

"Marmite" Ardley, eh? Lots of guesses which domestic manager might replace him but none have considered a foreign one. The Reedtz have brought in a few foreign players nobody has ever heard of with mixed results, whether their effectiveness or lack of, has been influenced by our Dear Leader is something to think about. More foreigner players and a foreign manager, all unknown to the enemy may work and might bring alive of one or two of our resident also-rans.

[Elite_Pie]

Even with the best defence in the league? Surely you have to admit he's got that right?

Over the course of the season we have been very good defensively, the league table says so and I wouldn't dispute it. But at what cost? We always look like our main consideration is not to concede goals rather than to score goals. We very rarely attack in numbers or put our opponents under sustained pressure. How many times have we seen visiting goalkeepers leave Meadow Lane having barely made a save? If we go a goal up we try to hold on rather than go for another. We should be so much better than that.

[drillerpie]

"Marmite" Ardley, eh? Lots of guesses which domestic manager might replace him but none have considered a foreign one. The Reedtz have brought in a few foreign players nobody has ever heard of with mixed results, whether their effectiveness or lack of, has been influenced by our Dear Leader is something to think about. More foreigner players and a foreign manager, all unknown to the enemy may work and might bring alive of one or two of our resident also-rans.

Not sure we can even do that post-Brexit, but also not sure a foreign manager is the answer here.

[Killerkline]

Yes, we seem to pretty much unanimously agree that Ardley isn't getting this group of players playing better than the sum of their parts, but I'm not at all convinced that Ardley is even getting them to play to the sum of their parts.

We have had a constant stream of signings from one or two divisions higher, with some up and coming youngsters, but we rarely dominate anyone and in all his time here I can't remember us stringing more than two or three good performances together.

Effiong is built for this division and scored something like 17 goals in a crap team last year. In his first interview he said that there was a lot to learn about Ardley's system but he was eager and willing to do what the manager asked. Now he's a joke figure who can hardly control the ball.

Elisha Sam is big, quick, skilful and has a cracking shot on him, but months after we signed him we still don't know where to play him.

We score way more goals with Knowles on the pitch than without him, but rarely start with him.

Enzio is being transformed into a defensive wide midfielder.

We all know what a good lower division central midfield looks like (Bishop and Ravenhill) and how many games that kind of mobility and aggression will win you, but we choose Doyle and Reeves every game when fit.

I've been saying for a while that this season would be like a Munto season. Remember when we were hovering around 5th in L2 with no consistency, and people started saying the players weren't good enough? Then a new manager came in with proper motivational skills and a simple but effective game plan everyone could buy into, and it turned out they were actually very good indeed.

I'm sure that's exactly where we are now, only I've resigned myself to the fact that there will be no change.

Cracking post

[Killerkline]

Very good point. Of the games we have lost or drawn, how many times as the opposition goalkeeper been man of the match? Majority of time, when we’ve lost, it’s not been an unfair result.

[TSANHO]

Over the course of the season we have been very good defensively, the league table says so and I wouldn't dispute it. But at what cost? We always look like our main consideration is not to concede goals rather than to score goals. We very rarely attack in numbers or put our opponents under sustained pressure. How many times have we seen visiting goalkeepers leave Meadow Lane having barely made a save? If we go a goal up we try to hold on rather than go for another. We should be so much better than that.

I agree. I’ve also noticed that even though we rarely commit large numbers forward it always amazes me how easy and how often the opposing team can hit us on the break or just bypass our entire midfield and run at our defence....there always seems to be more space for the opposition than when we have the ball, possibly because we don’t move the bloody thing quick enough.